Atx small transport tail skid strike. Loss of aircraft control. Emergency.

Attributes
ACN	103739
Time
Date	198902
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hya
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 300 agl bound upper : 400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : hya
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	approach : visual departure other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 10800 flight time type : 550
ASRS Report	103739
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I am a part 135 captain/chief pilot. Had departed hya with 9 passenger on board. Aircraft had flown previously that day. I had done a thorough and complete aircraft check and 2 walk-arounds prior to this flight and did not detect any tail damage. After tower cleared me for takeoff before advancing throttles I exercised rudder and elevator controls and proceeded with takeoff. All systems normal. We were climbing through 200-300' when tail seemed heavy. I trimmed but no response. As landing gear retracted we went into uncontrolled climb. Elevator was locked and could not be freed. I rolled left into bank which helped lower nose a little. Told tower I was returning now. They gave me the airport. Flaps aggravated situation. Gear down seemed to help some. We landed nose high but safely. Maintenance has determined damage to tail skid and probably binding of elevator due to skid being pushed into control tube. I do not know when this damage happened or how. Not noticed prior to takeoff. I feel my hours of experience and god's help averted total disaster. These model small transport's all have this skid problem. Engineering could reinforce or relocate so as to avoid contact with elevator controls. Tail made contact with ramp when loading, but only gently. I did not see any damage when checked and all controls were free in their movement.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX SMT TAIL SKID STRIKE. LOSS OF ACFT CONTROL. EMERGENCY.

Narrative: I AM A PART 135 CAPT/CHIEF PLT. HAD DEPARTED HYA WITH 9 PAX ON BOARD. ACFT HAD FLOWN PREVIOUSLY THAT DAY. I HAD DONE A THOROUGH AND COMPLETE ACFT CHK AND 2 WALK-AROUNDS PRIOR TO THIS FLT AND DID NOT DETECT ANY TAIL DAMAGE. AFTER TWR CLRED ME FOR TKOF BEFORE ADVANCING THROTTLES I EXERCISED RUDDER AND ELEVATOR CONTROLS AND PROCEEDED WITH TKOF. ALL SYSTEMS NORMAL. WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 200-300' WHEN TAIL SEEMED HEAVY. I TRIMMED BUT NO RESPONSE. AS LNDG GEAR RETRACTED WE WENT INTO UNCONTROLLED CLIMB. ELEVATOR WAS LOCKED AND COULD NOT BE FREED. I ROLLED LEFT INTO BANK WHICH HELPED LOWER NOSE A LITTLE. TOLD TWR I WAS RETURNING NOW. THEY GAVE ME THE ARPT. FLAPS AGGRAVATED SITUATION. GEAR DOWN SEEMED TO HELP SOME. WE LANDED NOSE HIGH BUT SAFELY. MAINT HAS DETERMINED DAMAGE TO TAIL SKID AND PROBABLY BINDING OF ELEVATOR DUE TO SKID BEING PUSHED INTO CONTROL TUBE. I DO NOT KNOW WHEN THIS DAMAGE HAPPENED OR HOW. NOT NOTICED PRIOR TO TKOF. I FEEL MY HRS OF EXPERIENCE AND GOD'S HELP AVERTED TOTAL DISASTER. THESE MODEL SMT'S ALL HAVE THIS SKID PROB. ENGINEERING COULD REINFORCE OR RELOCATE SO AS TO AVOID CONTACT WITH ELEVATOR CONTROLS. TAIL MADE CONTACT WITH RAMP WHEN LOADING, BUT ONLY GENTLY. I DID NOT SEE ANY DAMAGE WHEN CHKED AND ALL CONTROLS WERE FREE IN THEIR MOVEMENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.